PRICHARD, Ala. — A local songwriter who thought she had a great idea for a choir number found out the hard way that her catchy phrase had another meaning.

Linda DeRouis, an aspiring Christian musician, penned the song “Junk in My Trunk” as a metaphor for the bitterness some people carry through life. The song, performed last Sunday at her church, includes the lyrics:

I’m taking out the junk in my trunk
I’m taking out the trash from my past
Are you done with the junk?
Get it outta your trunk!

At one point DeRouis gave an exhortation while the choir sang in the background.

“Are you done with the pain and bitterness in your life?” she asked the crowd. “Each of us has a trunk full of junk. Open that big ol’ trunk of yours and start throwing out the junk!”

Some in the audience started laughing, but most joined the chant, repeating the phrase “No more junk in my trunk” several times.

When the song ended, the pastor took the pulpit and said, “I, too, am ready to get rid of the junk in my trunk. Thank you, Linda, for that song of encouragement.”

Many in the audience were unable to hold it together during and after the performance. Some were tittering, and several teenagers were howling with amusement.

“I thought it was hugely gutsy to do a song like that,” said one youth group member who said he “lost it” during the first verse. “I absolutely loved it.”

DeRouis has been trying to get a record deal for several years and often tries out new songs on her home church. She bristled when she learned later that “junk in your trunk” is a euphemism for having a big behind.

“I don’t keep up on ghetto slang, so I don’t really care,” she said. “People were blessed by the concept and by the song.” •